Betty White’s agent hits out at anti-vaxx rumours that she died from booster shot

‘People are saying her death was related to getting a booster shot three days earlier but that is not true. She died of natural causes,’ says Jeff Witjas

After TV icon Betty White passed away last week at age 99, a rumour began to spread that she had died not of old age, but of a lethal Covid booster shot.

Her agent begs to differ.

“Betty died peacefully in her sleep at her home,” Jeff Witjas, the Golden Girls actress’ longtime friend and agent, told People. “People are saying her death was related to getting a booster shot three days earlier but that is not true. She died of natural causes. Her death should not be politicized – that is not the life she lived."

Just days after Ms White died, Twitter and Facebook posts began attributing a quote to her: “‘Eat healthy and get all your vaccines. I just got boosted today.’ – Betty White, Dec. 28th, 2021.”

That quote, along with its sinister postdate (Ms White died on 31 December), appeared to imply a connection between the booster and Ms White’s death. The only problem is she didn’t say it.

“Betty never said this,” Mr Witjas flatly told the Associated Press.

Studies have shown that all three of the vaccines available in the United States – made by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson – are extremely safe and effective. Additional shots after full vaccination, known as boosters, have been shown to improve immunity to the coronavirus, especially to the new Omicron variant.

The fact checker Snopes was unable to find any evidence of whether or not Ms White had received a booster shot. In general, she did not publicly speak much about either Covid-19 or the vaccines.

Ms White’s cause of death has not yet been announced, but Mr Witjas has made it clear it had nothing to do with vaccines. At age 99, the actress and animal rights activist’s death was not a shock. But to her family, friends, and millions of fans, it was still a sadness.

“Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” Mr Witjas told People. “I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much.”